HowTo: Have more peace of mind and increase your productivity

In case you're not familiar, "Getting Things Done" (GTD) is an extremely popular book about productivity and workflow management. It's written by David Allen, a productivity coach who has worked with tons of major companies training everyone from executives to mailroom clerks how to manage their workflow more efficiently and approach their job with a "mind like water" .

That's the GTD mantra: "Mind like water."

What happens when you toss a stone into a completely calm pool of water?

Ripples emanate from the center in perfect response to the impact of the stone. The water neither underreacts nor overreacts. It simply reacts appropriately to the situation, then it returns to calm.

The concept is that our ability to be productive is directly in proportion to our ability to relax.

The better we're able to react appropriately to situations and return to a state of calm, the more we'll be able to get done.

Now that's a novel idea. I would have thought that your ability to be productive would be proportional to your ability to work hard, but no, David says the key is relaxing.

I like David's take on things better, and now that I think about it, it makes sense.

I remember when Mark McGwire used to play baseball that he would do a focusing exercise in which he put himself into a state of mental readiness that would enable him to hit a 95 mile an hour fast ball with a very precise part of the bat and knock it to kingdom come.

You never saw him swinging like crazy trying to overpower the ball with brute force--it was always a smooth, gentle, graceful glide that had the culminating effect of explosive power.

Athletes call this state being "in the zone", but David Allen calls it "mind like water."

It's a state of mental focus where you're completely relaxed, in control, completely aware of your surroundings, yet 100% focused on the task at hand.

You are not overly exerting yourself or "gutting it out" or straining in any way. You're simply relaxed, focused, and able to exert minimal effort while still operating at optimum efficiency.

I think we've all experienced this state of highly productive, relaxed effort at some time or another.

I felt it when I was forced to get my work done at the cafe. That's when I realized that, under the right conditions, I could get 8 hours of work done in only 4 hours of time.

I think sometimes we haphazardly stumble into these highly productive mental zones. We think, "Wow--I was really 'on' today. The day flew by, and I got so much done." 

But the million dollar question is--how can we purposely get ourselves into that highly productive state when we need to? Is that even possible?

David says, "Yes!". Here's the gist of how to cultivate a "mind like water":

Deal with "open loops". David defines "open loops" as anything "you feel even the smallest amount of responsibility to change, finish, handle, or do something about."

You know how when you're trying to focus on something and all sorts of little things keep on popping into your head distracting you from the task at hand?

Those are your open loops. They're the million commitments you've made that are still up in the air.

Oh, and don't worry--you don't have to complete a task in order to close a loop. You just need to find a way to get it out of your head so the open loops will quit bothering you.

Which brings us to how to get stuff out of your head...

Keep nothing on your mind. This concept is HUGE, and since I've adopted it I've noticed an immediate improvement in my peace of mind and my ability to keep track of stuff.

David's point is that the human brain is a wonderful, powerful tool, but it's a lousy place to store a to-do list.

Our mind has issues with prioritizing stuff--it tends to think that the newest information is the most important, and this isn't always true.

Also, our minds feel very uncomforatable with those "open loops".

You know the feeling: You're out working in your garden or having dinner, and thoughts keep popping into your head about stuff you need to do.

It's like your brain is always tapping you on the shoulder whispering in your ear, "Psst--Don't forget to email that customer. You need to update your business plan. The new project still isn't done. Neither is the old project. You're almost out of pens. And milk. And cat food. You need to do the laundry soon. And the dishes. You also said you wanted to do more volunteer work. What about that marketing idea you had--aren't you ever going to implement that? "

And on and on--it never stops!

Yikes! No wonder we feel so stressed and disorganized sometimes. Unless we have a way of getting the info out of our heads and into a better system, we're going to feel uneasy, restless, and forgetful.

The bottom line: We've got to use a better organizational system than our brains!

David advocates using a simple list-making system. The lists include:

• A calendar--to house your to-do items that have a specific date and time
• Next Actions--basically a to-do list without specific dates and times
• Someday/Maybe--stuff you'd like to do someday eventually
• Waiting For--things that need input from other people before you proceed 

(I'll cover this list making strategy in more detail in another blog post.)

When we unburden our minds of the million ideas, to-do's, meetings, goals, and projects that have been nagging us for their share of our attention, our minds can relax, even if everything on the to-do list isn't done. 

Really, the problem is the "open loops" and the solution is "keep nothing on your mind".

These two concepts are the bedrock of David Allen's "Getting Things Done" system, and when grasped and implemented can radically decrease your stress levels and increase your productivity.

When I started incorporating the GTD system into my life I noticed an immediate improvement, a feeling of control and peace of mind.

It really is sort of a lifestyle change. David doesn't make the distinction between work tasks and personal tasks--his system is an integrated approach to processing things we need to get done in all aspects of our lives.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be elaborating on the concept of "open loops" and "keeping nothing on your mind."

I've also created my own homemade planner based on the GTD system that I've customized to fit my work needs. I LOVE it! It's working great, and over the next few weeks I'll put together a article for ya on how to create your own planner--it's very simple and inexpensive.

It's going to be 2007 before we know it, and by January we should be prepared to have a less stressful, more balanced, optimally productive New Year!

Comments

[Sandra]

Great post, Sharon! I've heard such good things about GTD and finally got the book from my public library. (I have a rule of not buying a book until I've had the chance to really evaluate it.) I'm typically a very organized person but, sadly, I allowed the book to go overdue! Obviously, it's one that I need to buy. :)

[Sharon]

Hi Sandra--Oh, I'm like that too. If I can get the book from the library, I will, and only as a last resort (or if I determine I need the book on an ongoing basis) do I buy it. I couldn't find "GTD" at my library, but thankfully my sister gave it to me for my birthday. You will LOVE it!

[Steve Shaw]

I love the list making idea, Sharon. I've always tended to have a single list, and failed miserably to prioritise it as it was so full of 'someday/maybe' things that it was impractical. So multiple lists here we go!

[Sharon]

Yes, the distinctive lists are so helpful. I was amazed at the stuff that was consistently nagging at my mind that really belonged in the Someday/Maybe list. That list *is* important to us, even if it's not a top priority. Once I know it's safely on the list, I can forget about it and move on to more pressing matters. It also helps us figure out what is really a priority and what can wait.